Former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Deputy General Secretary aspirant, Abdul-Matheen Sali Jinsah, widely known as General Matheen, has praised the 2025 budget as a “people-centric” initiative that underscores the John Dramani Mahama government’s commitment to improving the lives of Ghanaians.
In a social media post reacting to the 2025 budget, delivered by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the astute businessman expressed hope, stating that the budget demonstrates the government’s determination to reset the country.
He highlighted that the budget primarily focuses on alleviating the burden on Ghanaians by removing certain oppressive taxes.
General Matheen emphasized that the government has upheld the NDC’s reputation as a social democratic party concerned with the welfare of its citizens.
According to him, the government’s decision to remove some taxes, as promised during the campaign, will foster trust and confidence among Ghanaians, showing that politicians can indeed honor their campaign promises.
He noted that these burdensome taxes had adversely affected ordinary Ghanaians and that their removal would ease the citizens’ struggles and improve their living conditions.
“This is one of the best budgets I’ve ever read, and I’m thrilled that the government is delivering on its promises to Ghanaians. People often think politicians only make empty promises on political platforms, so for JM and the government to fulfill their pledge to abolish the E-levy, COVID tax, and others is a brilliant move.
“These taxes were a burden on Ghanaians, so we must commend the government for removing them and providing some relief,” he said.
Addressing the decision to uncap the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), General Matheen described it as a masterstroke that would significantly enhance healthcare and education delivery in the country.
“I heard the Finance Minister mention that uncapping the NHIF will generate GH¢9.93 billion for various health sector initiatives. Similarly, uncapping the GETFund will free up GH¢4.1 billion for Free SHS and other educational expenses. This is a commendable and sound move,” he remarked.
During the budget presentation, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson stated, “Mr. Speaker, the overarching concern about free secondary education has been its quality and the absence of a dedicated source of funding. H.E. President John Mahama has resolved the funding challenge by uncapping the GETFund. This makes available dedicated funds for the full financing of free secondary education and free tertiary education for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).”
“Mr. Speaker, this year, the budget for the free secondary education program is GH¢3.5 billion. By uncapping the GETFund, we will make an additional GH¢4.1 billion available to the GETFund, specifically for financing the free secondary education program and other related expenditures.”
